Hard work after winning the lottery

The surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Time seemed to stand still for this reunion that spanned half a century.

The two elderly people's hands were still tightly clasped, as if they wanted to fill the 54-year gap with the warmth of their palms.

The long silence was broken by a soft call.

"Da Bao, Er Bao, San Bao."

It is Huayun.

She walked up to them without them noticing and gently placed her hands on the backs of the three little ones.

Her voice carried a soothing quality.

"Quickly, call him Great-Grandpa Zhou."

The three little dumplings whose names were called were originally looking up with their big, dark eyes, curiously examining the white-haired grandfather who had suddenly appeared and made their great-grandfather cry.

Upon hearing their mother's instruction, they immediately stood up straight.

They looked just like three tall pine trees waiting to be inspected.

"Hello, Great-Grandpa Zhou!"

Three clear, loud, and childlike voices rang out in unison.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like three pebbles thrown into a still lake, instantly rippling with layers of affection in Zhou Yinchuan's heart.

He slowly released Hua Mutou's hand, his gaze slowly moving down from his old comrade's deeply lined face.

It landed on the three adorable little ones in front of them.

Exactly the same red jacket.

Exactly the same blue jeans.

Exactly the same tiger-head ankle boots.

Even their slightly pursed lips due to nervousness, and the curiosity and innocence sparkling in their eyes, were exactly the same.

Zhou Yinchuan's face was still wet with tears, but the corners of his mouth had already involuntarily turned up high.

It was a joy that came from the bottom of my heart, without any impurities.

The light in his eyes shifted instantly from the excitement of seeing his old comrade-in-arms to the kindness and gentleness he felt upon seeing a younger generation.

"Hey! Hey! Hello! Hello everyone!"

He responded three times in a row, the hoarseness in his voice fading, leaving only an irrepressible smile.

He bent down, wanting to get a closer look.

But these three little guys are like they were made from the same mold, so exquisite that they are indistinguishable.

He looked at this one; he was handsome and clever.

He looked at the other one, whose eyes were clear and innocent.

And look at the last one, with its round, chubby face, it looks the most honest and adorable.

Zhou Yinchuan felt dazzled, his heart softened and warmed by the three little ones, so much so that he didn't know which one to look at first or which one to hug first.

He reached out his hand, then paused, as if afraid that the dust on his body would soil the children's clean clothes.

"Old Zhou, these are my great-grandsons," Hua Mutou introduced from the side with a tone full of pride, "eldest son Hua Si'an, second son Hua Sile, third son Hua Sitao."

"Great, great names!" Zhou Yinchuan exclaimed repeatedly, his gaze sweeping over the three children's faces, trying hard to tell who was who.

"Which one is Si'an? Which ones are Sile and Sitao?"

Hua Yun smiled and pointed out, "Grandpa Zhou, the one wearing red sneakers is the eldest, the one in blue is the second eldest, and the one in green is the third eldest."

Zhou Yinchuan looked down and suddenly realized what was going on.

He burst into laughter, his hearty laughter dispelling the sadness and solemnity of their earlier reunion.

"Good, good, you young people really know how to do things!"

He straightened up and waved to Xiao Li behind him.

"Xiao Li, bring me the gifts I gave to the children."

"Yes, sir."

Xiao Li responded and quickly walked to the trunk, taking out three beautifully packaged boxes, each about half a person's height.

The box is printed with a cool robot pattern, giving it a high-tech feel.

Zhou Yinchuan took a box and personally handed it to Da Baohua Si'an, leaning slightly forward and speaking gently in an almost eye-level posture:

"Si'an, come here, this is a gift from Grandpa Zhou to you."

Hua Si'an looked up at the gift box, which was taller than her, her big, dark eyes sparkling with surprise.

But he didn't reach out to take it immediately.

Instead, she turned her head and looked at her mother, Hua Yun.

There was a hint of questioning in his eyes.

Hua Yun nodded gently at him.

With her mother's permission, Hua Si'an stretched out her two little hands and hugged the big box with some effort.

"Thank you, Grandpa Zhou!"

His voice was loud and polite.

Zhou Yinchuan's smile deepened.

He distributed the gifts to the three children one by one.

The second child, Huasile, and the third child, Huastao, both carefully accepted the gifts only after receiving their mother's permission, and thanked her in the same clear voices.

The three little ones were holding a huge gift box, their small bodies almost completely hidden, only their bright, happy eyes were visible.

That pure joy is incredibly infectious.

Looking at them, Zhou Yinchuan felt a gentle touch on the softest part of his heart.

He spent half his life in the military and the business world, witnessing countless acts of deceit and hypocrisy.

Only at this moment, the pure joy in the child's eyes brought him immense comfort and peace.

"You old codger, you came all this way, but what did you bring with you!"

Hua Mutou complained, but his smile was brighter than anyone else's, and his pride and self-satisfaction almost overflowed from the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

"It's for the child, not for you!" Zhou Yinchuan glared at him, then laughed. "Besides, it's the first time I'm meeting my child, do you think I'd come empty-handed?"

The two elderly people bantered back and forth, their familiarity and intimacy making it seem as if the past fifty-four years had never existed.

The courtyard gate was bustling with activity.

Zhang and Li, who had been standing silently to the side like two statues, seemed somewhat out of place at this moment.

Hua Yun's father, Hua Shu, was an honest and simple farmer.

He sensed in these two young men a sharp and aloof quality that set them apart from the rest of the village.

They also knew that these were people close to the distinguished guests, and they absolutely could not be neglected.

He smiled憨厚ly and stepped forward.

"Comrades, you must be tired from your journey."

His Mandarin, though heavily accented with his local accent, was full of genuine kindness.

Xiao Zhang and Xiao Li immediately stood up straight and replied habitually, "It's no trouble at all, it's what we should do."

Their tone remained formulaic, carrying a professional rigor.

Hua Shu didn't mind, and simply pointed to a similarly beautiful little building not far away next door.

"Since the old man is staying at our house, we'd appreciate it if you two could stay at the guesthouse next door. It's run by my uncle, and they've prepared a clean and tidy room for you."

He paused, then added:

"It's right next door, the courtyards are adjacent, so if anything happens, you can just shout and they'll hear you. This way it's convenient for you to protect the old man, and you won't be... um... too constrained."

Hua Shu tried hard to find the right words.

He knew that these people were there to protect Old Master Zhou, and they would definitely stay by his side at all times.

But home is a limited space, and it's a time for family gatherings. Having them standing around all the time makes everyone uncomfortable.

Arranging for them to sit next door was a solution Hua Yun had devised in advance, fulfilling both the proper etiquette and giving each other space.

Xiao Zhang and Xiao Li exchanged a glance, both seeing understanding and relief in each other's eyes.

They naturally understood what their master meant.

To be honest, they also prefer this arrangement.

"Okay, thank you for the arrangement, Mr. Hua." Xiao Zhang's tone was noticeably gentler than before.

"Don't mention it, it's nothing!" Hua Shu grinned, revealing a set of teeth that were slightly yellowed from smoking. "Come on, I'll take you there, let's put our luggage down first."

He led Xiao Zhang and Xiao Li towards the neighboring courtyard.